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Painting Furniture

June 15, 2013

I’m not an expert at painting and restoring furniture. But I have learned a lot since I’ve been doing it…and since I’ve promised a few people this post, I’m going to jot down some of my resources and painting tips for you.

I buy pieces that are in relatively good shape, and solid wood. Sometimes you have to use your imagination a little bit. Don’t be afraid of chips, dents, or wear and tear. Wood filler, wood glue, or a little bit of trim go a long way!

90% of the time I sand my larger pieces. If the finish is really damaged or has large flat surfaces I break out the big guns and use an electric sander.

I only sand to smooth the surface and get scratches out, but if your piece is already smooth you can actually skip the sanding. Some paints (like Chalk paint) cut out the sanding step completely…but if your surface is rough or has any scratches in it, you’ll still want to give it a good sanding. Don’t worry about getting all the cracks and crevices, just prime those areas well.

After sanding, clean your piece. If I sanded it a lot I use a vacuum brush attachment over the whole thing, then I wipe it down with wet/dry rags. Get all of the dust off!

Always always always prime. I use the Zinsser primer, it comes as a brush on paint, or as a spray paint. Both work great, but for larger pieces with large flat surfaces, I recommend lightly rolling it on or brushing it on.

Most of the time I use plain old Interior Latex paint from Home Depot…it’s usually left over paint from my house somewhere. I like to use a smooth 4″ roller to do the large flat surfaces and a brush in the curved or hard to reach spots.

I think one of the biggest mistakes is not allowing the paint to dry long enough after painting. It can take up to a week for the paint to fully harden…so be patient…and leave it alone for as long as possible. Also wait for the paint to dry fully in between coats. I usually give it full day, or do a coat in the morning and one before bed.

It’s hard to wait I know…but it’ll be worth it. Plus if your like me it’s been sitting in your garage for 5 months anyways, so what’s another few days? ;)

On larger pieces like a dresser or table I always use a protective finish once the paint is completely dry. I like Minwax Water Based Polycrylic just because it doesn’t have the strong fumes. On a table top or the top of a dresser I will do at least 2 or three coats to keep it protected. **If you’re painting over white paint you might not want to use polycrylic. Even though it says it won’t yellow I’ve heard from a couple of people that said it did, so use a wax product instead (some wax recommendations at the bottom of this post).

I love spray paint.

But spray paint doesn’t create an even sheen. So if you use it on a large dresser, table, or anything with large flat surfaces…you’ll see that some spots might be shinier or more opaque than others. Which is why I don’t use spray paint on anything larger than a nightstand.

I spray paint shiny wood, plastic, metal…everything. I rarely sand before spray paint, but I do use a spray primer as an extra precaution.

I highly recommend reading the posts from this blog. I’ve learned a lot from her, and tried some of the products she recommends. If you want to learn more about it read her great posts below:

thank you for sharing this.. funny that I was looking for tips via google this morning, but found none that was put clearly and as fun as yours! I was just coming here for some quilts, and I got an answer to my search! thanks! can't wait to try soon. hopefully i am patient enough to let it dry properly!

Thanks Allison! I've painted a couple pieces of furniture with mixed results. I just bought an antique bedroom set on Craigslist for my daughter's "big girl" room that I need to get started on soon, so your post is timed perfectly!

Talk about perfect timing, I just blogged about ruining my coffee table with fingernail polish remover. I've been making table runners to cover the top and think it's time to paint it.Thanks for the info.

Thanks for the useful information. I have always admired the pictures you have posted in the past. We have just moved from IL to AL to be near our oldest daughter and her familly and are sourrounded by boxes upon boxes. When we get a little more settled, I want to get an old chest of some kind for the grill tools, etc. I am going to start looking for something used to probably paint. Nancy: rangerer@sbcglobal.net

So nice of you to share all this information! I have been wondering the steps you went through for such beautiful pieces! I'm going to have to bookmark this because I know I'll be using it as a reference! Thanks so much, Allison!!

How funny, I just blogged about the painted furniture in my living room today, too! I LOVE what you've done with all of your pieces, beautiful! And isn't it just so satisfying to do it yourself? Chrissie x

I have just LOVED this post! How wonderfully you've transformed so many pieces of furniture. Very inspiring. I have a small wooden cradle from Goodwill that I now have a new vision for. Thanks for the great advice.

I am working on miniature chest of drawers in pine that I bought as an unfinished kit. My plan is to stain it, but if it doesn't turn out, I want to paint it barn red. I bought it to use in my living room as an end table. I think the drawers will be perfect for hiding my knitting. We are supposed to have dry weather this week, so I want to complete it before next weekend—it seems that when it is rainy and humid out, things never want to dry.

Ooh, that last before-and-after of the side chair has inspired me! I've been looking for a vanity chair for my bathroom and can't find anything that I like at a good price point, but it would be so much fun to revitalize an old chair like what you've done, and then have something one-of-a-kind! I also did not know there was such a thing as spray paint primer, so thanks for that tip! :-)

You have done a fabulous job on all that furniture! Next time you are in Australia, can I persuade you to stay over at our place and fix up some old chests of drawers that I have? I suppose you want me to pay your airfare..LOL!!!

Fabulously informative; many thanks. Certainly does make a huge difference in a piece of beautiful furniture to give it a second chance and keep it out of the landfills and dumps we are so fond of filling with our cast-offs.